Psalm 107 pt. 2/4
Then they cried to the Lord in their need,
and He rescued them from their distress. He led them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their chains to pieces. Let them thank the Lord for His mercy, His wonders for the children of men; For He bursts the gates of bronze, and cuts through the iron bars. Some fell sick on account of their sins, and were afflicted on account of their guilt. They had a loathing for every food; they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in need, and he rescued them form their distress. He sent forth His word to heal them, and saved their life from destruction. Let them thank the Lord for His mercy, His wonders for the children of men. Let them offer a sacrifice of thanks, and tell of His deeds with rejoicing. |
The most important thing to keep in mind while we are reading through and interpreting the vivid images of desolation, of imprisonment, of abandonment and suffering, is also the most important aspect of this Psalm, that is, the Psalm begins singing as one who has already been redeemed, who has received God's Mercy and been drawn forward to God throughout our lifetime. This is a Psalm, not simply of a final redemption, but a recollection of having been redeemed and the memory of one to whom God has already remained faithful, already made good on the promises of mercy, of forgiveness and Love. This Psalm is one that is already convinced with the surety of a salvation that having been promised, already is, even though we are not yet there.
They Wandered in a barren desert, finding no way to a city they could dwell in Hungry they were thirsty; their soul was fainting within them Here begins a recounting of the history of salvation and it very easily sounds like the psalmist is recounting the experience of the Hebrews wandering through the desert and wilderness; fleeing from enslavement by the Egyptians with nothing but what was carried in their arms, on their backs and in their mule carts. They had no more homes to live in, and most probably had no tent- what need had they for tents as slaves and with what wealth would they have bought such a luxury? No town or city would take them in or care for them. They had no rest and with little food to eat, they cried out in hunger, preferring the flesh pots of Egypt to starvation in the wasteland (Ex 16:3) And God responded with fields of quail (Ex 16:13) and by giving them manna to eat. The bread that they thought was from heaven. At Meribah and Massah they cried out in thirst and despair and the Lord commanded Moses to give them drink. And so Moses struck the stone and water sprung forth (Ex 17:6). But we remember also that these were the waters of Maribah, that means bitter (Ex 17:7). They were waters which were safe to drink, it nourished and fortified the flesh, it kept them healthy through the years of their wandering. But it was also water that was bitter to the soul, to those who disobeyed the Lord and questioned Him according to their lack of faith. And we also remember that the manna, the bread that they thought was from heaven also spoiled. That though the Lord had commanded that each only fill their jar according to their daily need, some wavered in their faith, they disobeyed and gathered enough for the second, or even the third day, and when they awoke, they awoke to find that their daily bread had spoiled and soured (Ex 16:20). This sounds like the history of Israel, and perhaps for a moment, this is what the psalmist originally had in mind, but then we hear the next line: Then they cried to their Lord in need and he rescued them in their distress, and he guided them along a straight path, to reach a city they could dwell in. "He guided them along a straight path," But the Israelites wandered for forty years, until an entire generation, except for Joshua, had passed away (cf. Dt 1:35 and 34:1). For these, for the redeemed who are singing the Psalm, God has made a straight path directly to the city that is their home and dwelling. We cannot even say that the Israelites wandered for a time and then stumbled upon a path that immediately led them to the promised land- remember that even as they approached to cross the Jordan, they grew weary and fearful, again forsaking their faith in the Lord who had brought them so far, and provided so much and they delayed to the point that brought God's rebuke (Js 2) The Israelites stumbled, hesitated and stuttered their way into the promised land, even those final steps. And so, what is this new city of dwelling, to where the path has been made straight, like a highway cast through the wilderness, mountains brought low and valleys filled in, waters divided so that a wall of water was to either side, but underfoot is dry ground. From east and west, north and south, all would be called and come forward from all nations of the earth. Each on a road that has been made clean, level, smooth, secure and straight into the Holy city, the only city that is fit for dwelling in, where outside of whose walls there is only wailing and gnashing of teeth (Lk 13:38; Mt 8:12) and it is only He, only the Lord, who could lead them there. The city where they could dwell in is the heavenly city Jerusalem, the Mountain of the Lord, Zion in the highest where He also dwells. This spiritual, soulful place of respite where our Beloved also dwells; of where John of the Cross spoke: On a dark night, Kindled in love with yearnings I went forth without being observed, My house now being at rest. In darkness and secure, by the secret ladder disguised (Dark Night, prolog) The Psalm moves forward: Some dwelt in darkness and the shadow of death prisoners in misery and chains having rebelled against the words of God and spurned the plan of the Most High. And so enters the darkness for those who have not been redeemed, the soul becoming aware of where it dwells. There is no other place for it to be. Nowhere for it to dwell, or to ascend to the One that it loves. It ascends in darkness, secretly and unaware because we live in darkness, shrouded and living in the shadow that cannot see the truth of light; in silence because it cannot hear the words of God; in secret because it remains unaware and unknowing of its own self. How is it that Pope Francis responded when he was first asked, "Who is Jorge Bergoglio?" -- "A Sinner." What are the words which we speak each Sunday: "I confess to Almighty God, to you my brothers and sisters that I have greatly sinned; In my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do; Through my fault, through my own fault, through my most grievous fault." In the Ruthenian liturgy of the east, they pray these same words, but later and immediately before partaking in the Eucharist, they also include a tripartite request: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner; Oh God, cleanse me of my sins and have mercy on me; O Lord, forgive me, for my sins are many.” The Psalm says: Some dwelt in darkness and the shadow of death. We are sinners, our spirit’s living in darkness and the shadow of death. I am a sinner dwelling in the shadow of death, a prisoner in misery and in chains, having rebelled against the words of God and spurned that plan of the Most High. I have fallen and been disobedient in pride and arrogance of my own thoughts, my own words and my own deeds. That I have taken myself to be the wisest of the wise, and at times, even wiser; the boldest of the bold; bravest of the brave; and the strongest and healthiest and most self-reliant of all the most capable and independent. And so with good favor and to my great reward, the Lord seeks to humble me; to weigh down my tainted and self-righteous heart; to bind me to this earth in sweat and in toil. having rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the plan of the Most High. He humbled their heart with toil They stumbled; there was no one to help. And here, we may recall those first moments of humanity's first sin. When Adam took of what was forbidden, forsaking the commands of the Lord for his own judgment, his own wisdom and foresight. To the man God said, “Cursed be the ground because of you! In toil shall you eat its yield...” and “...by the sweat of your face shall you get bread to eat” (Gn. 2:17-19). it is by the sweat of their brow that they should bring forth fruit of the earth, the very food that does not satisfy, that leaves one hungry and continuing to remain thirsty. We are humbled in toil because we, I cannot accomplish it according to the work of my own hands and according to my will. And so, I stumble, there is no one to help. I am in darkness, I receive no consolation. The wisdom of others around fails and nothing suffices. Even the things that may have given me comfort in the past no longer bring consolation, enjoyment, or even bring any interest to me. I no longer enjoy my favorite foods; Movies have become dull; I have no more interest in playing games that used to bring me great joy; In everything there is boredom and no comfort to be found. What is it that God is trying to do for me here? What work is He accomplishing in my soul? That even my heart is being made humble and no longer finding fulfillment in the works of my own hands, in the toil and sweat of my brow; having found these things insufficient I continue to hunger and thirst. My soul hungers and thirsts, and so now I may turn my attention elsewhere, away from my pride and self-arrogance; away from my independence and self-fulfillment; away from the daily things of this world so that I may see and be attentive to the spiritual life. In the darkness I look around and see nothing, I hear nothing of God's word, and in complete secret, of what I do not even know.they cried to the Lord in their need and he rescued them from their distress He led them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their chains to pieces. This Psalm, that we could imagine on a very basic level to be replaying the life of Israel and the history of those God has redeemed from daily struggles, is clearly also speaking of the spiritual journey, of the soul’s longing for our Beloved; it is the story of the spirit wandering in the desert of this world, with no proper place or city to dwell in; it is the spirit that hungers and thirsts for the deeper realities, having a memory of the heaven from where we came, of the Lord and Bread who satisfies the thirsty soul and fills the hungry with good things; the spirit that is humbled by sweat and toil, stumbling with no proper help in this world-there are no riches, no careers, no investments, or achievements or legacies that can fill the spirit’s needs; so that it comes to know and realize that it dwells in darkness: Then they cried to the Lord in their need, and He rescued them from their distress. He led them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their chains to pieces. |