Blessed is the Man. Priest Daniel Sysoev by mission shop

Priest

DANIEL SYSOEV

BLESSED IS THE MAN EXPLANATION OF SELECTED PSALMS

Part I

Translated by Priest Nathan Williams

Daniel Sysoev Inc. New Jersey, 2018

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 1: Blessed is the Man. — New Jersey, Daniel Sysoev Inc, 2018. — 128 pp.

ISBN 978-5-4279-0069-2

Explanation of psalms 1, 2, 5, and 54. This book examines the issues of human happiness, the royal path, eternal life, a personal relationship with the Creator, and prayer for one’s enemies. “The Psalter is suitable for any good work. If you are despondent, in the Psalter you will find relief; if you seek deliverance from the wound of sin, the Psalter will cure your wound; if sin has become a habit, the Psalter will cut off from you the sinful growth.” —Saint Basil the Great

Protected by copyright law. Reproduction of this book in whole or in part is prohibited. Any violations of this law will be prosecuted.

CONTENTS The Psalter: A Biblical Treasure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 BLESSED IS THE MAN Explanation of Psalm 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 When is a Person Happy?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 The Dangers of Heretical Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Why Study the Law? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 A Righteous Man is like a Tree of Life . . . . . . . . . .26 What Awaits Sinners? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 ON THE ROYAL PATH Explanation of Psalm 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Rebellion against God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 The Anger and Wrath of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Royal Mount Sion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 The King’s Greatest Secret . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 The Great Remaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 EXPLANATION OF PSALM 5 The Conditions for Inheriting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 How to Become Attuned to Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Who will say, “My God”? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 How and When does God Punish Us? . . . . . . . . . .61 A Window into Heaven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 How to Make Crooked Paths Straight . . . . . . . . . .73 How to Pray for Heretics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Fighting for Gladness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 3

Contents

EXPLANATION OF PSALM 54 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 When does God Depart from a Man? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 God Hears All Men, but Does Not Heed All Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 The Reasons for God-Forsakenness . . . . . . . . . . . .87 God is Free in His Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 How to Complain to God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 The Wings of the Holy Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 The Spiritual Benefits of Pilgrimage . . . . . . . . . . 101 The City of Sojourners and the City of Earth-Dwellers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 The Sorrowful Labor of Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Prayer for the Enemies of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Prayer for Our Enemies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Gentle, Kind-Hearted Sinners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

The Psalter: A Biblical Treasure We are about to study several of the psalms of King David, namely those psalms that are most commonly employed in worship, so that you will be able to participate in the prayers with understanding and with attention of mind and heart. Regarding worship, Saint John Chrysostom said that “at its beginning, middle, and end it is filled with psalms.”1 Indeed, the whole of our worship is permeated and suffused with the words of King David. The All-night Vigil, which consists of vespers, matins, and the first hour, is literally built upon the words of the psalms. Psalm 103 is either read or sung, then Psalms 1, 2, and 3 are sung, followed by Psalms 140, 141, 129, and 116. Next come the Six Psalms—six psalms that are read at the beginning of matins. Then two kathismata are read, after which the psalms of the polyeleos are sung, followed by the psalms of praise. There is a Jewish saying: “There are five books from God to man”—the Pentateuch of Moses—“and five books from man to God.” These five books from man to God are the Psalter of King David, which the Jews divide into five parts, each consisting of about thirty psalms. 5

The Psalter: A Biblical Treasure

Indeed, the Psalter has a particular meaning for us. We know that all scripture is given by inspiration of God (2 Tim. 3:16). The Psalter is not merely the words of men. The apostle Paul said that the Holy Spirit spoke well through the mouth of King David. Regarding this the Lord also said that the Holy Spirit spoke through David the King. It is the Holy Spirit Who authored the Psalms, and Who played upon the heart of King David as upon a harp. The very word psalter means a collection of texts intended to be sung to accompaniment on the psaltery—a plucked multi-stringed musical instrument resembling a small tenstringed triangular harp. The number of strings is not coincidental; it symbolizes the Ten Commandments. Blessed Augustine wrote that the heart of every man must become a psaltery. The heart must be taut, the Ten Commandments must abide in the heart, and the Great Harpist— the Holy Spirit—will play upon it the great song of God. Thus, a person must himself become a psaltery, and to do this he must study the Psalter. In ancient times there was a rule that one could not become a priest or a bishop without knowing the Psalter by heart. On Athos to this day it is normal for a monk to spend the first three years of his life in the monastery learning the Psalter by heart. It is an essential element of daily life. 6

The Psalter: A Biblical Treasure

As I understand, in Syria to this day many young people sing the hymns of King David while working, plowing, or at social gatherings. Saint Basil the Great said that our Psalter is fitting for any good work. If you are despondent, in the Psalter you will find relief; if you wish to be freed from the wound of sin, the Psalter will heal your wound; if sin has already become a habit, the Psalter will cut off from you the sinful growth; if you wish to rejoice and to praise God, here too you will find the right words in the Psalter. If you are confused and do not know how to proceed, the Psalter will teach you understanding; if you wish to learn the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, the Psalter will reveal them to you. The Psalter contains the fullness of dogmatic theology. It speaks of the divine nature, of divine justice, and of the Holy Trinity. It tells of God’s creation of the world, and of how He rules the world. Here we find both the history of the Old Testament and the foretelling of the New. In figures it speaks of the Divine Incarnation, of the Virgin Mary, of the Nativity in Bethlehem, of the Baptism in the Jordan, and of Christ’s preaching in the synagogues, His parables, and His miracles. His Crucifixion is related as though David were standing at the Cross—just read Psalm 21. The Psalter tells of Christ’s Resurrection from the dead, of His Ascension into Heaven, and 7

The Psalter: A Biblical Treasure

of the dread Second Coming. It recounts the conversion of the Gentile nations, the Church of the Gentiles, the rejection of the Jews and their ultimate return. Finally, it speaks of the future reward. The Psalter is a great textbook on psychology. To this day no more astute analysis of the human soul has ever been conceived than that contained in the Psalter. The Spirit of God reveals the underlying secrets of the human heart so that men may draw closer to God. The Psalter, you see, is a priceless treasure, which must be preferred above all other treasures. When the great saints were asked, “How should we pray?” they always replied, “Read the Psalter.” This is indeed the case, for while it is a good thing to read akathists and canons it is not enough. Canons and akathists were written by men, but the Psalter was written by the Spirit of God. So greatly does the Church love the Psalter that even the first part of the Liturgy invariably includes the psalms. The Liturgy begins with the great litany, and then Psalms 102 and 145 are sung. The Liturgy concludes with Psalm 33. This is not by chance, for the Church knows how tremendously beneficial the Psalter is for the salvation of men’s souls. This is very important. After all, many say, “Oh, we don’t need the Psalter; what is the point? We already know all that. I’ll go find something 8

The Psalter: A Biblical Treasure

more interesting instead.â&#x20AC;? This frequently occurs because people read the Psalter but do not understand it. Let us attempt to rectify this situation at least a little. The Psalter consists of one hundred fifty canonical psalms and one noncanonical psalm, which has only survived in the Greek. This psalm contains the words of King David before his battle with Goliath. The one hundred fifty psalms are appointed to be read or sung by the Church in their entirety once each week, and twice a week during Great Lent. In the ancient Church practices varied. For example, on Athos and in other monasteries to this day the Psalter is read entirely once a day. Such is the special place that the Church has allotted to the Psalter in the spiritual life of a Christian. Some of the fathers say that all the psalms were written by David. The psalms are arranged not chronologically, but in a particular order. The Psalter begins with Psalm 1, which describes the primary aspects of a manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s path, his spiritual growth, and ends in three great psalms of wondrous doxology to God, which conclude our All-night Vigil. They are the psalms of praise, wherein all creation and all of redeemed mankind sing the praises of God. Thus, the soul of a man gradually changes, moving toward 9

The Psalter: A Biblical Treasure

perfection, from the beginning of his study of the blameless ways until its end. The Holy Spirit acts upon the heart of a man through the words of the Psalter. There is a rule that the Psalter is to be read in a monotone in church. This is because of the overwhelming wealth of its content. The Psalter is so pregnant with different meanings that emphasizing one meaning necessarily diminishes another. This prevents people from accentuating for themselves what is most important. One person may need to rejoice, another to assuage his sorrow, while yet a third must overcome a certain sin. If something is vocally emphasized in the church, the Psalter will no longer be a person’s own. And so the Psalter is read in a particular manner. However, the predominant means of performing the Psalter is by singing, and the performance of the psalms in church is called singing. The Typicon states, “We sing the second and third kathismata.” The Psalter is in essence a songbook. The singing must not come merely from the body, however, but from the heart, so that a person sings with both mind and heart—as Basil the Great says, so that both the higher and lower parts of the soul participate. A person’s soul has two parts: the animal and the rational. The animal part is also called the unconscious part. What makes our heart 10

The Psalter: A Biblical Treasure

beat? The soul, which enlivens a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body, regulates his breathing, the assimilation of food, and other endogenous processes. The animal part of the soul is responsible for all this. This is what is sometimes called the life force, which animals also possess. It allows us to grow, and provides the capacity for movement and sensation. Conversely, the higher, rational part of the soul possesses an intellect and is quite sensitive to sound. The Psalter is relevant to both the lower and the higher parts of the soul. For this reason it is an excellent thing to sing the Psalter when it is appointed. The melodies help us to delve into the content of the psalms, and in the process to feel the joy that God has given us. Now let us turn to the text. Frequently people do not understand the Church Slavonic text and consult the Russian translation. It should be remembered that the Russian translation was made from the Hebrew text, which in a number of places has been distorted. This has already been proven by the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Hebrew texts were distorted deliberately, in order to obscure the messianic passages that speak of Christ the Savior. For this reason in some cases discrepancies arise between the Slavonic and Russian texts. One may of course use the Russian text, but it is better to use certain translations that have been made in our own 11

The Psalter: A Biblical Treasure

time. The very best of the available translations into Russian is the translation of Yungerov.* Recently yet another edition was published—a Psalter with parallel Russian and Greek texts. This translation was made in 1985.** In some areas it is well-executed, while in others the authors permit themselves to rephrase the meaning instead of simply translating. In my explanations I use the Russian Synodal Version, but for the most part I will draw on the Church Slavonic text, translating simultaneously, so that we become accustomed to reading the Church Slavonic text.

The Books of the Old Testament, vol. 3, “The Didactic Books,” translated by P.A. Yungerov [in Russian]. Under the general and scientific editorship of A.G. Dunaev (Moscow: Publishing House of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, 2012). ** This may possibly be referring to the following publication: The Psalter of the Prophet and King David. Translated into Russian by E.N. Birukova and I.I. Birukov (Moscow: Publishing House of Saint Tikhon Orthodox Humanitarian University, 2007).

BLESSED IS THE MAN

Explanation of Psalm 1 Psalm 1 is sung at the beginning of the Allnight Vigil. It is preceded by Psalm 103, which tells the story of the creation of the world. Then, after the great litany, the singing of the first kathisma begins. This is the order appointed for the All-night Vigil on the eves of Sundays and great feasts, except for feasts of the Lord. Psalm 1 begins thus: David’s. Without Superscription among the Hebrews. What does “David’s” mean?* It means the psalm was given to David. By whom? By the Holy Spirit. It is improper therefore to translate this as “a psalm of David;” rather, the psalm is “David’s.” Incidentally, the very word kathisma means that one may sit while it is being read. Kathidzo is the Greek word for “I sit.” From it we get the word cathedra—“seat.” During the reading of the Psalter, except for the Six Psalms, praying while sitting is permitted at the services. Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of the pestilent. But his will is rather *

In Church Slavonic, literally “a psalm to David.” –

Trans. 13

Blessed is the Man

in the law of the Lord, and in His law will he meditate day and night. And he shall be like the tree which is planted by the streams of the waters, which shall bring forth its fruit in its season; and its leaf shall not fall, and all things whatsoever he may do shall prosper. Not so are the ungodly, not so; but rather they are like the chaff which the wind doth hurl away from the face of the earth. For this reason shall the ungodly not stand up in judgement, nor sinners in the council of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, and the way of the ungodly shall perish (Ps. 1:1–6). The psalm begins with remarkable words. Blessed—that is, happy—is the man who does not attend the counsel of the ungodly, who does not take the path of sinners, and does not sit in the seat of pernicious men.

WHEN IS A PERSON HAPPY?

What does blessed mean? Who by nature possesses blessedness? Holy Scripture says, The blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords (1 Tim. 6:15). He alone possesses blessedness by His very nature. In Him are the sources of eternal happiness, which never began and will never end. Hence, whoever wishes to find joy and happiness must go specifically to Him. In Him alone is the joy that does not end 14

When is a Person Happy?

and is uninterrupted by any misfortune. A person can become blessed if he becomes a partaker in the blessedness of God. Interestingly, Athanasius the Great and Theodoret of Cyrus say that Psalm 1 pertains not to just any man, but to Christ specifically, Who as a man was wholly blessed, because His will remained continually in the law of God. His human will was always submissive and remains submissive to the will of the Heavenly Father. For this reason He is the prototypical blessed Man, Who serves as a model for us. Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly (Ps. 1:1). What does it mean to walk in the counsel of the ungodly? What counsel is this? The counsel of the ungodly is consultation with people who do not honor God. The ungodly are those who do not believe in God—polytheists, heretics, and non-Christians. All these people are the ungodly, and blessed is he who takes no part in their counsels. Saint Basil the Great wrote that a man is blessed not only when he rejects the invitation of a heretic or an atheist to participate in blasphemy, but especially when he rejects blasphemous thoughts that occur to him. For example, the thought occurs: “Why are sinners so often rich, while the righteous are poor? Could a just God really allow this?” Many think it normal to ponder and deliberate 15

Blessed is the Man

the matter: “Why not? It’s my right.” But in actuality such a person is far from blessedness. A person who doubts God, who rebels against the Creator, who resents the works of divine providence—such a person is far from God. He is inaccessible to blessedness. He enters into the counsel of the ungodly. By not participating in the thoughts of God, such a person begins to deny God, and thus begins his downfall. The Word of God says that the greatest sins are sins against God. Some people declare, “So what if so-and-so doesn’t go to church? He’s a good person.” But Holy Scripture says that blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. An ungodly man by definition cannot be good. The definition of ungodliness is not honoring God. And one who has a part in their counsels is already unworthy of blessedness. He is far from joy. One must withdraw from ungodly thoughts and ungodly intents. Counsel is not merely outward consultation, but first and foremost a certain counsel of inward thought, an inward consultation. When a person consults himself regarding what he is to do, this is already counsel. It is essential that we withdraw from this ungodly counsel manifested in our thoughts, so that we might escape ungodliness and flee to God. It is not enough, however, not to participate in the counsel of the ungodly. If a person honors 16

When is a Person Happy?

God correctly, but engages in debauchery, murder, and theft, is he really worthy of blessedness? And so the psalm continues: Nor stood in the way of sinners (Ps. 1:1). To what is this referring? Whereas previously the psalm mentioned certain affairs of the mind, thoughts that we must not entertain, here it says that a person must not stand in the way of sinners. What is the way of sinners? We know from the Word of God and the teaching of the fathers of the Church that there are two ways, or paths: the way of good and the way of evil; the way of life and the way of death. The way of life lies in fulfilling the commandments of God. The way of death is the way of rebellion against God. Thus, the way of sinners is a life led according to the laws of death, atheism, and opposition to God. When a person acts in opposition to God, he finds himself on a certain path. For example, if a person has a habit of getting drunk, drunkenness happens for him automatically. If he has a habit of using foul language, this too comes out automatically. And so a sort of path, or way, is formed. And it is said that blessed is the man that does not take this path. For one who takes this path has removed himself from blessedness. For it is said, They that remove themselves from Thee shall perish (Ps. 72:27). Thus, we must remove ourselves from all the ways of sinners. It therefore follows that we must 17

Blessed is the Man

avoid friendships with ungodly people. We may interact with anyone whatsoever, but ungodly people we must not have as friends. As it is written in Holy Scripture, Evil communications corrupt good manners (1 Cor. 15:33). Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are. And so the Word of God forbids us from having friendships and entrusting our hearts to people who do not believe in God, and who in their unbelief shamelessly commit sin and call it righteousness. This is not a question of someone committing a sin and then repenting. That is one thing. It is quite another when someone commits a sin and is proud of it, boasts of it, and considers it the norm. Blessed is the man who does not take this path, who removes himself from these paths, and who disdains all these ways. Finally, blessed is he who has not sat in the seat of the pestilent (Ps. 1:1). The seat of the pestilent is a gathering of people intent on ruining someone. First and foremost, naturally, the seat of the pestilent is, as Chrysostom explains, an assembly of heretics, who gather in order to ruin people. Many think that heretics are free thinkers, people who are particularly liberated. The media will sometimes write of a person, â&#x20AC;&#x153;He has heretical views of such and such a problem,â&#x20AC;? meaning that his views are untraditional, dramatic and interesting. But the Word of God says that 18

The Dangers of Heretical Books

a heretic is something else. A heretic is the devil’s own mouth, a servant of Satan who wishes to ruin a person. Thus, blessed is that man who does not sit in the seat of the pestilent, that is, the pernicious. For example, you are invited to a gathering at some Eastern spirituality center: do not go. You are invited to a meeting of some sect: do not join them. Here too King David is saying that blessed is the man who puts away curiosity from himself. Some people think, “We have to know everything.” But who said we have to know everything? God alone knows everything. You will never be omniscient, and why know evil? Why wallow in the mud? This is in fact a favorite trap of the devil. He says to a person, “Know your enemy.” I had an acquaintance who believed that one should know one’s enemy, and by this reasoning he would go to watch horror movies on nearly a daily basis. THE DANGERS OF HERETICAL BOOKS

There are things that should not be studied. These are the books of heretics. In our Book of Needs there is even a question regarding this. After a person confesses the Orthodox faith he is asked, “Have you read the books of heretics?” If he has, he must repent and promise to do so 19

Blessed is the Man

no more, even before he makes confession. The Church holds that reading the books of heretics is a more terrible sin that murder. I am amazed when I hear people say, “How can I not learn a little about everything? Life will be a dull affair; there will be nothing to read.” I reply: “My dear friends, back before the revolution the collected works of the holy fathers were published, comprising around a hundred fifty volumes. Have you read all one hundred fifty?” And that is just the holy fathers of old, to say nothing of those of our time. There are twelve volumes of John of Kronstadt, eight volumes of Tikhon of Zadonsk, twelve volumes of the lives of the saints, and many more. This is what we should read, and not wallow in all kinds of muck. For this reason Scripture teaches that blessed is the man who does not sit in the seat of the pernicious—in the Russian translation, the seat of the corrupters. The pernicious and the corrupters are quite similar, since one who ruins a person first corrupts his mind. Incidentally, why does this passage refer specifically to a man? The fathers of the Church teach that man was created first, and he was created in such a way that he already contained woman. God created man first, though it is said that male and female created He them (Gen. 1:27), and then He created woman from a rib of the 20

The Dangers of Heretical Books

man. Man encompasses the fullness of nature, which was then passed on to woman in its fullness. It is for this reason that here a person is called a “man” first and foremost. In a number of languages, such as English, the words for man (male) and man (person) are the same. This is actually the case for the majority of languages in the world. This is not to disparage women, but because human nature was first created as a man. Furthermore, any Christian, whether male or female, must become manly, courageous, in order to bear in himself the image of Christ, the perfect man. When Saint Syncletica was asked why she, being a woman, was giving advice to those who came to her, she replied, “In body I am a woman, but in spirit I am a man.” And in this she was correct, because she spoke as one clothed in the perfect man (Eph. 4:13), that is, in Christ. This is an example for us as well: every person must become manly and steadfast. Such a person will be able to achieve the way of blessedness and happiness. Let us return however to our discussion of the seat of the pestilent. The seat of the pestilent means not only an assembly of heretics, corrupters, blasphemers, opposers of God, or drug addicts and murderers, for example. A person must not get involved in various gangs, as in the film Brigada, about a group of friends who banded together for the purpose of committing lawless 21

Blessed is the Man

acts. We must keep our distance from all such groups and associations. The psalm is speaking not only of this, however, but also of something else. The seat of the pestilent, according to Basil the Great, is the state when a person first entertains an evil thought, and then, by walking in the path of sin, becomes so entrenched in his iniquity that it is as though he were sitting in it. Such a person must leave this sinful seat, and not remain upon it. The primary destroyer of men is the devil. The person who sits upon his throne is a person who is slumbering in sin and does not wish to escape it. But if you find yourself there, tear yourself free, and then you will find blessedness. It is of this that David is speaking. WHY STUDY THE LAW?

In order to achieve blessedness, is it really sufficient not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, not to stand in the path of sinners, and not to sit in the seat of the pestilent? Basil the Great writes, “In that case a horse, a bull, or a stone might also be called blessed. For what inanimate object has stood ‘in the way of sinners’? Or what dumb beast has sat ‘in the seat of the pestilent’?”2 In other words, all this is necessary, but these conditions are not sufficient. And so further on we read, But his will is rather in 22

Why Study the Law?

the law of the Lord, and in His law will he meditate day and night (Ps. 1:2). His will abides in the law of God. What does this mean? It means that man’s will becomes God’s own. A person perceives the law as an expression of his own desires. He wishes precisely what the law wishes, and does not have to “twist his arm” to make himself do as it requires: “Let’s see: the law requires one thing, but I want something else. Well, so be it; out of condescension to God I will do as the law requires, and then He will be under obligation to me.” No, the will of the righteous man abides in the law of the Lord. It is united with the will of God in such a way that they become a single whole. A sort of blending takes place: the will of the person submits wholly to the will of God, and perceives it as its own. A person perceives the law of God from within. This is very important, since it is fairly easy to fulfill the law outwardly. Even if you do not obey it outwardly, you can always find several dozen excuses for every failure to obey the law of God. But a person’s will must abide in the law of the Lord in such a way that it is lawful from within, so that the law is in the person’s heart. For a person who has not achieved some degree of holiness this is naturally impossible, but this degree is achievable: one need only learn the Symbol of Faith and be baptized. One who is baptized receives chrismation, and of those who 23

Blessed is the Man

are chrismated it is said, Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things (1 Jn. 2:20), and, Ye need not that any man teach you (1 Jn. 2:27). You need only listen to what your chrismation tells you. Hence, this path is fully accessible and quite nearby for those who are baptized. For what is the difference between the Old Testament and the New? Whereas in the Old Testament the commandments were written on tablets of stone and they acted upon a person from without, now in the New Testament the laws of God are written upon fleshy tables of the heart (2 Cor. 3:3), and God says that He Himself will teach every man. A person has all the skills and abilities he needs; they are instilled in him from the beginning, and they need only be tapped. How is this accomplished? It is said, In His law will he meditate day and night (Ps. 1:2). We must study the law of God and meditate on it day and night. We must examine the Word of God, learning the will of God continually, day and nightâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all day and all night, in the literal sense of the words. A person goes to bed, gets up, walks about, and the whole time he thinks not of whether Putin is good or bad, not of what his mother-in-law said or what her son-in-law thought, or of how to get the best of someone, but rather seeks out opportunities to better learn the law of God, to better learn His will. We must meditate on His ways unceasingly. 24

Why Study the Law?

Consequently, one who does not study Scripture will certainly never achieve blessedness. This is actually a very sad state. I have spoken with other fathers and asked why here in Moscow there are so few places where the Scriptures are systematically studied. The fathers told me, “Because there are no people who would listen.” It is hard for people to constantly study Holy Scripture. Some parts are interesting, others not particularly. This is quite apart from the fact that we must study the Word of God ourselves day and night. Whether going to sleep or waking, a person must seek out the ways of God’s law. First and foremost he must search for them in Holy Scripture, then in his conscience, in interactions with other people, in nature—in all things one must seek out the law of God, which is at work everywhere. It must be studied and meditated upon day and night. Only in this way can a person learn the subtle, delicate art of fulfilling the holy commandments of the Gospel. This is not a question of what to read and what not to read. The commandments pertain even to one who does not know how to read. The law of God may be studied not only with the eyes, but also with the hearing and the mind. There are times when you have no Bible, but you can nevertheless study the law of God. For example, can this commandment be kept in 25

Blessed is the Man

a concentration camp? Of course it can. There are no obstacles whatsoever to keeping this commandment; it is possible everywhere, if only a person seeks out the will of God in every tiny movement of the forces that surround us. And he shall be like the tree which is planted by the streams of the waters, which shall bring forth its fruit in its season; and its leaf shall not fall, and all things whatsoever he may do shall prosper (Ps. 1:3). The fruit of this study, the fruit of a person’s will abiding in the will of God, is that this person becomes a fruitful tree. As the Lord said, I am the vine, ye are the branches (Jn. 15:5), and, My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that ... beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit (Jn. 15:1–2). Indeed, a person who abides in Christ, in the power of God, who studies the Word of God and makes every effort to follow it, will gradually bear more and more fruit—the fruits of God, which begin to act in the person, and new, hitherto hidden horizons are revealed to him.

A RIGHTEOUS MAN IS LIKE A TREE OF LIFE

For this reason it is said that a person shall be like the tree which is planted by the streams of the waters (Ps. 1:3). This image refers us to the very 26

A Righteous Man is like a Tree of Life

end of the Bible. The Word of God ends with a description of a great city—the New Jerusalem, descending from God out of heaven (Rev. 21:2), in the center of which stands the throne of God. Further on we read, And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations (Rev. 22:1–2). Thus, the righteous man becomes a citizen of the New Jerusalem. He is at the source of waters. What are these sources of waters? The Holy Spirit. In the Gospel of John we read, This spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive (Jn. 7:39). The Holy Spirit is a source of living water, which springs forth in a person’s heart and begins to cultivate new fruit therein. The person becomes like a tree that shall bring forth its fruit in its season; and its leaf shall not fall, and all things whatsoever he may do shall prosper (Ps. 1:3). There is a very interesting distinction. How do the leaves differ from the fruit? The leaves are outward good deeds, while the fruit is inward good deeds. The leaves should be understood to mean prostrations, almsgiving, and other outward deeds, but without inward substance they are empty. The fig tree was covered with 27

Blessed is the Man

leaves—outward good deeds—but it had no fruit within, and so it withered. And so it is written that its leaf shall not fall (Ps. 1:3), that is, his outward deeds will not prove fruitless, but will be accompanied by inward fruit, such as meekness, humble-mindedness, love, chastity, purity, unacquisitiveness, and the other great Gospel virtues that sprout up within a man. And all things whatsoever he may do shall prosper (Ps. 1:3), because the Lord Himself acts by the hands of that person. Furthermore, the very image of the tree growing by the water is prefigured not only at the end, but also at the very beginning of the world. In the beginning of the world there was a certain garden. Out from this garden there flowed a river, which divided into four branches: the Tigris, the Euphrates, the Ganges, and the Nile. And at the sources of these rivers there grew a tree—the tree of life also in the midst of the garden (Gen. 2:9). According to the book of the Proverbs of King Solomon, the wisdom of God is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her (Prov. 3:18). What is this wisdom of God that is a tree of life for those who come to it? Christ. He is the true tree of life. For this reason it is said that he will be “like a tree” of life. A righteous man who becomes like unto Christ becomes Christ-like, and comes to resemble the tree of life, which bears the eternal fruits of righteousness. 28

What Awaits Sinners?

WHAT AWAITS SINNERS?

Further on King David, being a great poet, naturally provides contrast. Not so are the ungodly, not so; but rather they are like the chaff which the wind doth hurl away from the face of the earth. For this reason shall the ungodly not stand up in judgement, nor sinners in the council of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, and the way of the ungodly shall perish (Ps. 1:4â&#x20AC;&#x201C;6). The ungodly are, first and foremost, all those who do not honor God. Scripture emphasizes that the first commandment is to love the Lord thy God (Mt. 22:37). And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself (Mt. 22:39). The second commandment proceeds from the first, because without the latter it is a sham and a counterfeit. But neither can the first commandment exist without the second, since God does nothing without love for neighbor. Godless love for oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neighbor is useless and pointless. Thus, the ungodly man does not resemble the righteous one; his life is entirely different. He is like the chaff, or dust, that the wind kicks up from the face of the earth. He causes nothing but trouble. Suppose you were walking down the street, and the wind began kicking up dust in your face. How would you like it? You probably would not be particularly pleased. The dust is perceived as 29

Blessed is the Man

something hostile, but temporary. The same is true of the very existence of the ungodly, which like a cloud of dust buffets the righteous in the face, but it will vanish from the face of the earth (Ps. 1:4). God will wipe all the ungodly off the face of the earth, as being unworthy. They become dust to be hurled away, just as dirt is swept out of a house. So also the ungodly, who do not honor the Creator, are tossed out of the house of God, out of the universe that God created. For this reason shall the ungodly not stand up in judgement, nor sinners in the council of the righteous (Ps. 1:5). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shall not stand upâ&#x20AC;? has two meanings. Firstly, it means they will be resurrected not unto judgment, but unto condemnation. As the Lord said, He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (Jn. 3:18). A person who during his life did not believe in Christ the Savior as true God and true Man is resurrected not unto judgment, but unto condemnation, to receive a just sentence. For this reason it is said that the ungodly shall not stand up in judgement (cf. Ps. 1:5). Righteous and sinners alike will be resurrected in the flesh, but the righteous will be resurrected unto judgment, that is, unto justification, but the sinners unto condemnation. They will not stand before God at the judgment. Interestingly, the Russian translation says that the ungodly shall not withstand at the judgment (Ps. 1:5), that is, they 30

What Awaits Sinners?

will be unable to hold their ground before the righteous, unable to overcome them or vanquish them in debate. They will be flung out as ungodly. Nor sinners in the council of the righteous (Ps. 1:5). After the judgment the intermingling of sinners and righteous that we have now will cease to exist. There will be an absolute division. The righteous will begin to live with God “in the council of the righteous,” in the assembly of the righteous who counsel each other, support each other, share their knowledge of God, and together rule the new universe created by God. But sinners will be driven out of this wonderful council of the righteous into outer darkness (Mt. 8:12). For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, and the way of the ungodly shall perish (Ps. 1:6). The Lord knows the way of the righteous. What does this mean? Can it be that the Lord does not know the lives of sinners—the deeds of Hitler, for example? Can it really be that we know more than God? The word to know here is used in the sense of “to approve.” There is an old saying: “To understand is to forgive.” God has absolutely no desire to understand sinners. He has no intention of justifying their way and does not know it. This is the sense in which the words are used here. The Lord knows the way of the righteous because He loves them, and loves their way, which is Christ Himself. We know that Christ is the way that leads to the Father. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no 31

Blessed is the Man

man cometh unto the Father, but by Me (Jn. 14:6). For this reason He is known by the Father. No man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him (Mt. 11:27). Thus, the way of the righteous lies in that the Father knows Christ, and the person who becomes like Christ is recognized by God as one of His own. For this reason you and I always wear a symbol of the fact that the Father knows us—the Life-giving Cross. But those who do not wear the Cross do not want God to know them. And the way of the ungodly shall perish (Ps. 1:6). The way in which sinners walk will vanish and crumble. Note that it does not say that the ungodly themselves will perish. They will remain, though they will be cast into the abyss of hell, but their way—their path, all their plans and purposes—will be destroyed. As Blessed Augustine wrote, there are two cities: the City of God—a sojourner on the earth, which will find its homeland in heaven— and the city of earth, built upon hatred for God, which now exists but then will vanish, for all its inhabitants will be cast into outer darkness. It is of this that David is speaking in Psalm 1. Thus, the very first psalm already contains the fundamental rules for living. If we wish to know God, this psalm gives us the principles of righteousness and shows us what awaits sinners for their evil deeds. 32

On the Royal Path

ON THE ROYAL PATH

Explanation of Psalm 2 In a number of versions of the Hebrew text, Psalm 1 is organically linked with Psalm 2, which is considered its continuation. A Psalm of David. Why have the heathen raged, and the peoples meditated empty things? The kings of the earth were aroused, and the rulers were assembled together, against the Lord, and against His Christ. Let us break their bonds asunder, and let us cast away their yoke from us. He that dwelleth in the heavens shall laugh them to scorn, and the Lord shall deride them. Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and in His anger shall He trouble them. But as for Me, I was established as king by Him, upon Sion His holy mountain, proclaiming the commandment of the Lord. The Lord said unto Me: Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee. Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession. Thou shalt herd them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt shatter them like a potterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vessels. And now, O ye kings, understand; be instructed, all ye that judge the earth. Serve ye the Lord with fear, and rejoice in Him with trembling. Lay hold of instruction, lest at any time the Lord be angry, and ye perish from the righteous way. When quickly His wrath be kindled, blessed are all that have put their trust in Him (Ps. 2:1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;12). 33

On the Royal Path

This psalm is sung after “Blessed is the Man.” It describes the Kingdom of Christ, the Kingdom of the Messiah—the Anointed One of God. Whereas Psalm 1 describes the way of the righteous, David’s second psalm shows how this way has developed throughout the course of world history. The prophet is speaking of the very heart of this way, which was revealed upon the Cross on Golgotha.

REBELLION AGAINST GOD

The psalm begins thus: Why have the heathen raged, and the peoples meditated empty things? (Ps. 2:1). The word raged is a very interesting one. If we consult the Greek text we see that the word there is not raged, but literally, “Why do the Gentiles snort?” Horses when they are bridled will snort indignantly, just as the Gentiles snort against God. Their rebellion is the same as the snorting of a horse against its rider, only laughable. And here David is saying, “Why do the heathen snort against God? And why do people study empty things?” The heathen are the Gentiles, while the people who study empty things are the Jews. Both the former and the latter together rose up in rebellion against God. The Jews and the Gentiles conspired to rebel against the Creator. When 34

Rebellion against God

did this occur? When Christ was crucified. First the Jews rose up against Him, followed by the Gentiles. And so David inquires, “Why will they do this? It is a foolish and completely senseless rebellion.” The kings of the earth were aroused, and the rulers were assembled together, against the Lord, and against His Christ (Ps. 2:2). This occurred in the literal sense when Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired to kill Christ the Savior. Interestingly, if we read the fathers of the Church we see that their attitude towards Pilate is far from friendly. They call him a murderer, a coward. This they say because a careful reading of Holy Scripture shows that Pilate is not merely a skeptic. There are passages that say that Pilate scourged Christ personally, as we read in the Gospel of Mark: And delivered Jesus, when he had scourged Him, to be crucified (Mk. 15:15). Hence, Pilate’s skepticism is not simply indifference. Many say, “I am an agnostic and refuse to speculate.” But when that same non-speculative agnostic encounters God, he usually turns into a God-hating monster, because the Lord takes away his right to doubt. They assembled together, against the Lord, and against His Christ (Ps. 2:2). They rose up against the Lord God the Father and against Christ, His Anointed One. Why is this said? Because what concerns the Son is likewise directed against the 35

On the Royal Path

Father. Every man who insults the Son likewise insults the Father Who sent Him. Those who do not believe in God the Son likewise blaspheme God the Father. The reason is obvious. Suppose someone were to insult and strike your child in your presence. Would you take it calmly? It is not likely. There was a case when a certain Orthodox bishop, who rejected the heresy of Arius, was brought to the emperor Valens, who was then ruling jointly with his son. Valens was an Arian, meaning that he avowed that the Son is not equal to the Father and that He was created. The bishop bowed to Valens, but demonstratively ignored his co-ruler. Valens was indignant: “How dare you behave thus toward your emperors?” The bishop replied, “I have shown honor to you, and that is enough. You yourself say that it is enough to honor the Father, and that the Son need not be honored. I therefore have done likewise.” Consequently, whoever does not honor the Son likewise does not honor the Father Who sent Him. Here too it is said that the Father construes rebellion against the Son as an insult to Himself. Furthermore, I will note that this rebellion continues to this day. The use of the plural here— the kings and the rulers (Ps. 2:2)—is deliberate. The rebellion of the Pilates, the Herods, the Jews, and the pagans continues to this day. There are 36

The Anger and Wrath of God

whole countries that exist in a state of constant rebellion. These are the countries where the leaders and rulers rise up against the Lord and against His Christ, in the literal sense of the words. Like Pilate they say, Let us break their bonds asunder, and let us cast away their yoke from us (Ps. 2:3). People who rebel against God attempt to cast off the yoke placed upon them by God the Father and God the Son. They say, “We do not wish to serve Them anymore; we do not wish to obey Them. We will cast off the bonds They have placed upon us.” What bonds? The bonds of the commandments. They wish to act according to their own evil will. By this means they wish to achieve freedom. Some people declare, “I will be free! I will refuse to obey the commandments and I will achieve freedom. Christianity restricts me.” One Satanist said, “Satan gives me freedom.” The truth however is that these very people have lost the freedom to worship God. THE ANGER AND WRATH OF GOD

He that dwelleth in the heavens shall laugh them to scorn, and the Lord shall deride them. Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and in His anger shall He trouble them (Ps. 2:4). Here it is very important to understand that our God is not some kind of machine. Many think that God is some sort 37

On the Royal Path

of Santa Claus who gives everyone presents and requires nothing of us. Today there is a popular opinion that God punishes no one, but rather people punish themselves. In Holy Scripture, however, we see that the situation is slightly different. Our God is the Living God. He can be wrathful or angry, but His anger is not our anger, and His wrath is not our wrath, in the sense that it is not the passion of wrath. In Him there is no clouding of the mind, no boiling blood, no clenched fists, but there is an angry rejection of evil, a disdain for evil, and mockery of those who attempt to arrange their lives in evil. In the very beginning, when Adam rebelled against God, what did God say to him? And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of Us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever (Gen. 3:22). And God cast Adam and his wife out of paradise. Therein lies the mockery: “You wanted to be a god? Look what has become of to you.” If a person attempts to arrange his life without God, he deserves nothing more than to be laughed at by God. There is good reason for the old saying, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” It is a very accurate saying, because the Lord has His own plans and ideas. People make plans, build global empires, and think, “I will be mighty, I will establish my kingdom, and I will be ruler of all. I am great, I am wise, I can do anything 38

The Anger and Wrath of God

at all.” But God says, “We’ll just see about that. What will you do now? Or now?” And so it begins. People make their plans as though God did not exist, and even stubbornly, impudently think that God has to take them into account. I once wrote in one of my books about a conversation I had with an atheist, who said these words to me: “And what if your God does require that I do this or that? I decide for myself what is good or bad for me. Let God judge me by my rules.” I replied, “Well, well. So you decide for yourself what is good or bad, but you do not permit God to do the same? You naive person; God will pay you no heed. He has His own point of view, and He will do with you as He wishes, not as you wish. Then you can run around in the darkness all you want and talk about your rights to anyone who will listen.” I saw a film in which one character asked another, “Do you believe in God?” He replied, “Never put the question that way. Put it like this: does God believe in you?” This is actually quite right. People say, “I have done a good deed: I have come to believe in You! You exist.” And God says, “Why, thank you. Without you I never would have guessed.” God actually does laugh at this kind of madness, and He makes a mockery of it. Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and in His anger shall He trouble them (Ps. 2:5). This passage describes how the Lord will destroy all those who have rebelled against Him. We know that forty 39

On the Royal Path

years after the Lord’s death the Jewish nation was scattered across the face of the earth, Jerusalem was burned, and those crucifiers who did not accept faith in Christ were executed. This visitation rests upon the Hebrew people to this day: the scourge of God’s wrath pursues them throughout the earth. Hitler’s persecution and the ceaseless terrorist attacks in Israel are manifestations of that same wrath of God that King David is foretelling. He will trouble them and will not permit them to build anything—this is a sign that the Lord destroys the kingdoms of the rebellious. This pertains not only to the Jews, but to all nations that rebel against the Heavenly Father. Remember the Soviet Union, which rose up in rebellion against God. What happened? The psalm says that the Lord will plunge them into troubles, that is, will destroy them from within. It is these inner troubles that toppled the Soviet Union. It was the wrath of God working upon the atheist foes of God, who had risen up in rebellion against the Creator. The same awaits other countries that anger God by their lawlessness. ROYAL MOUNT SION

But as for Me, I was established as king by Him, upon Sion His holy mountain, proclaiming the commandment of the Lord (Ps. 2:6–7). Christ is 40

Royal Mount Sion

saying that He was established as King by God the Father over Sion, His holy mountain, to proclaim the Lord’s commandments. Thus, Christ is the eternal King, Who now reigns over Sion—the mountain of God. What is referred to here as Sion? Sion is the name given to the Church, which was born in an upper room on Sion. The upper room on Sion is the Mount Sion of God. There is good reason for the rule according to which the church entrance is ordinarily located at the top of a flight of stairs, so that people enter the church as though ascending the mountain of God. The church is a symbol of that mountain. Frequently in the churches there is also a second elevated area before the altar, as though leading up to the summit of Mount Sion. Any church serves as a gathering place for the inhabitants of Sion, that is, the inhabitants of the holy mountain of God. And upon this mountain the eternal Ruler is the Heavenly King Himself—Christ the Savior, Who rules His Church. It was promised to King David: Of the fruit of thy loins will I set upon thy throne (Ps. 131:11); and Christ, a descendant of David, ascended his throne for all time. And so when people say that we have no Orthodox king, they are not speaking the truth. We do have a King, Who sits upon Holy Mount Sion, proclaiming the commandments of the Lord. He proclaims the will of the Father, as He himself said: I have 41

On the Royal Path

not spoken of Myself; but the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak (Jn. 12:49). The revelation of the Son is the revelation of God the Father. Furthermore, the word used here is proclaiming (Ps. 2:7). Christ is established as King so that He may unceasingly proclaim the Lordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commandments. This means not that God the Son gave His Revelation once, then fell silent, but that in His Church Christ continues to proclaim the commandments of God the Father. The will of the Father is unceasingly accomplished by Christ in the Church. It is Christ Who rules the whole Church and is the living Head of the Church in the literal sense of the word. Incidentally, a careful inspection of Church history reveals how the Lord rules His Church. Unfortunately, our textbooks frequently conceal from us the important fact that God rules the Church through Christ. But in actuality, if we read the lives of the saints or the ancient historians of the Church, we see with great clarity the work of God being accomplished in this world. That Christ now rules the Church personally and that He proclaims the commandments of God the Father to the Church to this dayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;these things are perfectly observable. Anyone who has lived long enough in the Church sees how God rules the world and how He shows particular care for 42

The King’s Greatest Secret

the Church, quelling the heresies that arise. Christ cleanses the Church imperceptibly, even without the various decisions of the councils. The Church is cleansed internally. If a new wave of schisms arises, for example, this too the Lord will overcome, for He defends the commandments of God the Father and rules the Church with His powerful right hand. THE KING’S GREATEST SECRET

The Lord then goes on to reveal the greatest secret concerning Himself: The Lord said unto Me: Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee. Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession. Thou shalt herd them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt shatter them like a potter’s vessels (Ps. 2:7–9). Thus, Who is the King that sits upon the throne on Sion? It is He Who Is, He to Whom the Lord says, “You are My eternal Son, Whom I have begotten this day.” Why has He begotten Him today? Because in God there is neither past nor future; in Him there is only the present. God abides in the eternal present; for Him all times are now. For Him now is the creation of the world, this present moment, and the day of the Last Judgment. He is above the passage of time. And in this extratemporal eternity He eternally 43

On the Royal Path

begets the Son. The Lord is already eternally begotten of the Father, because He is the perfect Son of the perfect Father, but at the same time He is now begotten of the Father, since He is the eternal effulgence of the unapproachable flameâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; the eternal reflection of the essence of the Father, Light of Light, as it is said in the Symbol of Faith. Hence, Christ eternally takes His being from the Father, like a stream from its source. In the eternal present the Father and Source begets the perfect Son from His essence. Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession (Ps. 2:8). The Father promises to give the Son the nations, that is, the Gentiles, as His inheritance. The Jews renounced You, says God the Father, and so I give to You the Gentile nations; they shall be Your inheritance. Russian Gentiles, Chinese Gentiles, Saudi Arabian Gentiles, Gentiles from Central Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all these nations are given by God the Father to the Son for His inheritance. This is His inherited property, and anyone who snatches them from Him will be crushed by His might. And the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession (Ps. 2:8). Indeed, we see that in many places the news of Christ spreads to the very ends of the earth, to the oceans. The northern borders of the earth terminate in the Arctic Ocean. Has 44

The Great Remaking

the power of Christ spread to it? Yes, it has. There are even monasteries there. Has the power of Christ reached the Indian Ocean? It has. Has it spread to the Pacific Ocean? Yes. It has also reached the Atlantic. The power of Christ extends to all the borders of the earth. Furthermore, the Lord’s power is still spreading, as it is said. This power will keep expanding until it encompasses all men. People will either submit to it or they will not. And those who do not submit will nevertheless be subjugated. You know that the day will come when all men and angels without exception, including the rebel angels, will bow down before Christ—some albeit involuntarily. They will be cast at His feet, and Lucifer himself will fall down at the feet of Christ and will be trampled. THE GREAT REMAKING

Thou shalt herd them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt shatter them like a potter’s vessels (Ps. 2:9). Everything among the Gentiles that is at variance with You will be crushed by Your power. Just as a clay pot cannot withstand a rod of iron, so also all the plans of the Gentiles that are directed against You will be destroyed by Your own power. With what rod of iron? Saint Athanasius the Great explains: “That is, the Cross; for though of wood by matter 45

On the Royal Path

it has the strength of iron.” The Jews will be crushed by the rod of iron, that is, the kingdom of iron. The book of the prophet Daniel mentions four kingdoms: of gold, of silver, of brass, and of iron. Gold is the kingdom of Babylon; silver, of Persia; brass, of Greece; and iron, of Rome. At the command of Christ the kingdom of iron will destroy the dominion of the Jews, and will scatter the Jews like a potter’s vessels. There is however another very interesting interpretation. What, asks Theodoret of Cyrus, is meant by the words, Thou shalt shatter them like a potter’s vessels (Ps. 2:9)? If a potter’s vessel falls apart when he has just begun to shape it, he breaks it up, mixes it up afresh, and molds a new vessel from the same clay. So also Christ takes the Gentile, “breaks him up” completely, mixes him up, and from him makes a new man. None of what is in the Gentile or the Jew will enter the Church in unaltered form. Everything must be made remade by Christ. God remakes a man’s past, present, and future. He changes his whole worldview, changing him completely. And it will not go well for that man if he attempts to hinder God in this work. If a person wants to hinder God and attempts to retain something of his own, disregarding God’s wish to remake it, the iron will strike swiftly, for the Lord herds men with a rod of iron (Ps. 2:9). Many have no 46

The Great Remaking

doubt experienced this. When a person fails to understand something the easy way, God smacks the foolishness out of him. Notice that it says specifically that He “herds” them with a rod of iron. To herd means not to destroy, but to guide in the proper direction. And now, O ye kings, understand; be instructed, all ye that judge the earth. Serve ye the Lord with fear, and rejoice in Him with trembling (Ps. 2:10–11). All the rulers of the earth, both judges and kings, must learn from God in His Revelation, and understand what God commands. They must learn how to serve the Lord with fear and rejoice before Him with trembling. One must learn to serve the Lord and to do so reverently. Unfortunately, in Christians this is often lacking. Today’s Christians, infected with the spirit of Protestantism, have a buddy-buddy attitude toward God. They approach for Communion without reverence, they enter the temple of God without reverence, and in it they behave irreverently. They do not feel reverence and trembling before God at prayer or in their daily affairs. It is essential to remember the words that God the Father says through King David: Serve ye the Lord with fear, and rejoice in Him with trembling (Ps. 2:11). Behold His greatness and His might. A person who feels no fear of God is a stranger even to the beginning of wisdom. For to fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Sirach 1:15). 47

On the Royal Path

If a person has not learned the fear of God, he is not yet capable of anything. One must serve God, but do so with fear— first with the fear of punishment, then with the fear of hurting God. The basest fear—the fear of punishment—gradually disappears and transforms into the fear of hurting our Heavenly Father. Joy too must be accompanied by trembling before the greatness of God. When the great saint Macarius the Great saw God, he said that while approaching Him, being one with Him, he was nevertheless aware that the Lord was King and Creator, while he was a slave and a creature. Even at the heights of sanctity a person is seized with trembling when he sees God. If we do stand before the face of God without trembling, this simply means that we do not see Him, and we are not actually standing before His face: we have instead built ourselves a mental idol, and what cause have we to fear him? This kind of thing occurs due to not knowing God, and so the Church deliberately emphasizes this verse. It is always sung at “Blessed is the Man.” Lay hold of instruction, lest at any time the Lord be angry, and ye perish from the righteous way. When quickly His wrath be kindled, blessed are all that have put their trust in Him (Ps. 2:12). The Hebrew text is still more precise: “Honor the Son, so that He does not become angry and so that you may not 48

The Great Remaking

perish in your way, for His anger will quickly be kindled.” The Lord commands us to honor the Son and to receive instruction from Him. When God teaches, what must we do? God speaks, and you reply, “I hear and obey.” Some however say, “Well, that’s what you say; that is your point of view.” This is the wrong approach! The right approach is quite different: to read the Gospel and to do it. Lest at any time the Lord be angry, and ye perish from the righteous way (Ps. 2:12). Lest you perish by leaving the way that the righteous walk, that is, by separating from Christ, for by separating from Him people inevitably perish. Some ask, “What about other nations that do not know God?” They have already perished; they are in a state of godlessness. For ruination is neither more nor less than when a person does not have fellowship with God. This has nothing to do with justice or various good deeds. The fact is that through baptism and faith in Christ a person must break free of the ruination in which he is born and in which he lives. When quickly His wrath be kindled (Ps. 2:12). Quickly the wrath of the Son will be kindled against all those who rebel. As the apostle Paul says, there will come a righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: seeing it is a righteous thing with 49

On the Royal Path

God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power; when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day (2 Thess. 1:5â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10). Thus, the day will come when the flaming wrath of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s anger will be revealed, when the absolute truth of God will be revealed throughout all the universe, and He shall reward every man according to his works (Mt. 16:27). Indeed, the great day of wrath is approaching, and we must prepare for it, serving God with fear, rejoicing before Him with trembling, honoring the Son and obeying the instruction of God, so that in the time of that wrath we may prove blessed, so that God might reveal His power in us, be glorified in us, and reveal His glory not in visitation, but in our glorification. For we know that God is glorified in various ways. Once two sons of Aaron entered the temple of God and brought strange fire into the tabernacle. Apparently, as Scripture goes on to say, they were inebriated. And immediately fire came out from 50

The Great Remaking

God and burned them up, and the Lord said, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh Me, and before all the people I will be glorified (Lev. 10:3). This is one glory, manifested in the punishment of apostates. In another instance Moses spoke with God, and the skin of his face began to shine. Then God said, “Behold, I have been glorified in Moses.” Here He was glorified as the Enlightener of the righteous. In both cases the glory of God was revealed, but it was revealed differently depending on those who received it. Hence, we must prepare ourselves so that the glory of God is revealed in us as our own effulgence, glory, and might, and not as might that is exercised upon us. Blessed are all that have put their trust in Him (Ps. 2:12). All those who trust in the Son are blessed, but unhappy is he who has no trust. We must learn this blessedness, learn to trust in the Son and to place our hope in Him alone—to place our hope in His sufferings and in His labor, to obey Him, to serve Him, to seek out His will and to subject all the nations of the earth to that will, so that we become God’s hands and His tongue, and so that His glory might act through us. Then truly all our enemies will be cast down at our feet. Truly, we do not believe that a time will come before the end of the world when the Church will not be persecuted. We know for a fact that while the Church exists on earth, 51

Explanation of Psalm 5

persecution will exist likewise. Christ did not lie when He said, If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you (Jn. 15:20). If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? (Mt. 10:24). But we also know that persecutions will not continue forever. We know that fire will swallow up the universe, and it will flare up like a great torch, but we will remain in eternal life with God, to stand before His judgment, that He might reveal His glory in us. This will happen if we endure to the end, if we trust in Him, if we study the commandments of God day and night (Ps. 1:2). Let us study this, and the mercy of God will be with us. EXPLANATION OF PSALM 5

The Conditions for Inheriting The title of Psalm 5 reads, A Psalm of David for Her That Obtained the Inheritance (Ps. 5:1). Who is â&#x20AC;&#x153;she that obtained the inheritanceâ&#x20AC;?? Who is this heiress to whom Psalm 5 is dedicated? It is the Church. The holy fathers explicitly say that this refers to the Church and to each individual Christian who has been vouchsafed to be an heir of God. This is mentioned in the epistle to the Romans: Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the 52

Explanation of Psalm 5

flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together (Rom. 8:12â&#x20AC;&#x201C;17). It is to these heirs that this psalm is dedicated. It is about how they live, by what means they must inherit the Kingdom, and what the conditions are for inheriting. Ordinarily there are specific conditions under which a person may inherit. Sometimes the person leaving the inheritance outlines certain requirements. In the same way God sets conditions for His heirs who are to receive the eternal Kingdom promised to the saints. These conditions are described in Psalm 5. The full text of the psalm is as follows: Unto my words, give ear, O Lord; hear my cry. Attend unto the voice of my supplication, O my King and my God; for unto Thee will I pray, O Lord. In the morning Thou shalt hear my voice. In the morning shall I stand before Thee, and Thou shalt look upon me; for not a God that willest iniquity art Thou. He that worketh evil shall not dwell near Thee, nor shall transgressors abide before Thine eyes. Thou hast hated all them that work iniquity; 53

Explanation of Psalm 5

Thou shalt destroy all them that speak a lie. A man that is bloody and deceitful shall the Lord abhor. But as for me, in the multitude of Thy mercy shall I go into Thy house; I shall worship toward Thy holy temple in fear of Thee. O Lord, guide me in the way of Thy righteousness; because of mine enemies, make straight my way before Thee. For in their mouth there is no truth; their heart is vain. Their throat is an open sepulchre, with their tongues have they spoken deceitfully; judge them, O God. Let them fall down on account of their own devisings; according to the multitude of their ungodliness, cast them out, for they have embittered Thee, O Lord. And let all them be glad that hope in Thee; they shall ever rejoice, and Thou shalt dwell among them. And all shall glory in Thee that love Thy name, for Thou shalt bless the righteous. O Lord, as with a shield of Thy good pleasure hast Thou crowned us (Ps. 5:2–13). HOW TO BECOME ATTUNED TO PRAYER

We all hear this psalm at the first hour. It talks about how to pray. Unto my words give ear, O Lord (Ps. 5:2). Literally, “Allow my words into Your ears.” What does this mean? Naturally, in the physical sense God has no ears, being fleshless, but God can receive words addressed to Him or He can not receive them. The Lord receives these words if 54

BIBLIOGRAPHY *

Saint John Chrysostom. On Repentance, and For Reading on (the Sin) of David with the Wife of Uriah. Vol. XII, book 2. St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg Theological Academy, 1906. 2. Saint Basil the Great. Talks on the Psalms. Moscow: Sibirskaya Blagozvonnitsa, 2013. 3. Saint Athanasius the Great. Explanation of the Psalms. Moscow: Blagovest, 2013. 4. Blessed Theodoret of Cyrus. The Psalter with Explanation of Each Verse by Blessed Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus. Moscow: Holy Trinity Publishing House, 2011. 5. Saint John Chrysostom. Talks on the Psalms. Moscow: All-Merciful Savior Orthodox Benevolent Brotherhood, 2013. 6. Compositions of the Ancient Christian Apologists. Translated into Russian by Archpriest Peter Preobrazhensky. St. Petersburg: Blagovest and Aleteia Foundation, 1999. 7. Saint Athanasius the Great. Explanation of the Psalms. Moscow: Blagovest, 2013. 8. Saint John Chrysostom. The Sacrament of the Cup of Christ. Moscow: Orthodox Brotherhood 1.

Translatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: The information given for all titles is for the Russian editions. 123

Explanation of Psalm 54

of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian, 2009. Euthymios Zigabenos. Psalter with Commentary by Euthymios Zigabenos, Explained in Accordance with the Patristic Commentaries. Moscow: Sintagma, 2010. Scriptural quotes taken from the King James Version of the Bible, except where otherwise indicated. Quotes from the book of Psalms taken from The Psalter According to the Seventy, published by Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. All rights reserved.

DANIEL SYSOEV INC.

was founded as a USA-based subsidiary of the Rev. Daniel Sysoev Missionary Center Benevolent Fund. The corporation’s primary goals are: — Creating high-quality translations of Orthodox texts from Russian into English and preparing these texts for print — Distributing books, CDs, DVDs, and church supplies in the US and Canada, in English and in Russian — Promoting projects to further the mission of Orthodoxy in the world. The company’s primary area of activity centers on the works of the priest Daniel Sysoev, who was killed November 19, 2009, in Moscow, leaving behind numerous recordings of his lectures, sermons, and literary works. Father Daniel’s books touch with grace the minds of those who read them. Father Daniel had a profound understanding of the texts of Holy Scripture, in keeping with the explanations of the holy fathers of the Church. His God-given ability to interpret and explain the Bible, to preach and speak to a person’s heart, and most importantly to love God and neighbor has enlightened and continue to enlighten many. Upon reading his works many decide to change their path, find answers to difficult questions, and are strengthened in their faith and desire to inherit eternal life with God. It is our goal to bring back the laudable tradition of reading Orthodox books. If you share our goals and feel able and inclined to assist in achieving this common goal, write to us at mission379@gmail. com. It may be that our joint efforts will bear much fruit. If you would like to contribute to this work, you may use one of the following methods: 1. Wire transfer: ABA/Routing Number 021000089 CITIBANK, N.A. 2201 86th street, Brooklyn, NY, 11214 Daniel Sysoev Inc, account number: 4989398433 2. PayPal: ssv379@gmail.com

PRIESTS HAVE DIED, LEAVING FAMILIES BEHINDâ&#x20AC;¦

Together we can help them! May the Lord grant His faithful servants eternal rest in the tabernacles of the righteous! You can donate to help their families in one of the following ways: 1. Wire transfer: ABA/Routing Number 021000089 CITIBANK, N.A. 2201 86th street, Brooklyn, NY, 11214 Daniel Sysoev Inc, account Number: 4989398433 2. PayPal: ssv379@gmail.com

OTHER BOOKS BY PRIEST DANIEL SYSOEV WHY GO TO CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY?

ven some people who call themselves Orthodox are of the opinion that going to church every Sunday is bordering on fanaticism. There are plenty of justiﬁcations for this view: “Sunday is my only day oﬀ”; “I can pray just as well at home”; “It annoys my family”; and so on. In this book an Orthodox missionary priest invites the reader to see for himself the invalidity of such views.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE IMMORTAL, OR WHAT TO DO IF YOU STILL DIE

n the few months since it appeared, this unusually-titled book by the famous priest and missionary Fr. Daniel Sysoev has quickly become a bestseller. What should you do if you end up dying after all? Unfortunately, many people try to avoid the question of death; yet death, like it or not, is unavoidable. Following divine revelation and the experience of the Church, Fr. Daniel paints a perfectly logical picture of the human soul transitioning from mortality to eternity. The author gives us advice on how to behave correctly at this most important of events for every person, how not to be afraid, how to pass through the aerial toll-houses, and what will await us after death. The author likewise describes the church doctrines regarding heaven and hell.

Priest Daniel Sysoev

Explanation of Selected Psalms In Four Parts Part 1 Blessed is the Man Translator Priest Nathan Williams Layout Olga Bochkova Cover and Design Igor Ermolaev

mission-center.com mission-shop.com mission379@gmail.com Format 70  100 1/ 32. Oﬀset printing. Oﬀset paper. Conventional printed sheets Run of 5000