Psalms LXX 125-127 (MT 126-128); Col 1:9-14; Eph 4:4-8; 1 Cor 15:43.
As we reach this third grouping of steps in the Songs (and Psalms) of Ascent, we move out of the darkness and into the light. Psalms 125-127 (MT 126-128) still remember exile, but primarily celebrate the generosity of God, who has rescued, and who continues to provide for us. We have two reasons a double to take some time over these Psalms, since they not only are the basis for the Orthros songs of ascent, but we read them (and the rest of the Psalm of Ascent) in their totality during this season of Lent, at each Pre-Sanctified. Let’s turn, then, to the three Orthros Songs that based are based on Psalms 125-127, seeing how they have amplified the joy of these Psalms, and applied joyful confidence to our Christian walk.
The first Antiphon is prefaced by a call-out to the One who has brought us life: O Thou who hast taken our image and our likeness, and endured crucifixion in the flesh, save me by thy Resurrection, O Christ God, for thou art the Lover of Mankind. This wonderful introductory phrase combines the corporate (He has taken OUR image) and the personal “save me”—Jesus, the Incarnate, crucified, and risen Lord is the lover of mankind, and of each one of us. With that confidence, we are ready for the first step in this group of Antiphons:
O Savior, who didst restore Zion from the captivity of error, deliver me from the bondage of sufferings and restore my life. He that soweth sorrow in the south, fasting with tears, the same shall reap sheaves of reviving and ever-nourishing joys.
The song riffs off Psalm 125 (MT 126), in which the Jewish people looked back on the return from Exile with exultation and joy:
When the LORD reversed the captivity of Zion, we became like people comforted.
Then our mouth was filled with joy, and our tongue with rejoicing;
then they will say among the nations, “The LORD did great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us; we became gladdened people.Reverse our captivity, O Lord, like wadis in the south.
Those who sow in tears will reap with rejoicing—
They went weeping and carrying their seed,
But shall come with rejoicing, carrying their sheaves.
Though the Jewish people were astounded by God’s provision, when he returned them to the Holy Land after their bondage in Babylon, they also look for an ongoing reversal of their fortunes—a flood of God’s grace, like the wadis, or ravines, that were normally dry, but overflowed their banks in the rainy seasons. Sowing the seed may be difficult, but harvest then comes, and with it, rejoicing. God’s people relied upon the goodness of God, and the healthful seasons with rain, for provision, and this Psalm links that reliance to their confidence in God’s ability to act, and to bring them good things. Our Orthodox Ode, which was introduced by a memory of the Resurrection (not just a physical Exile!), goes on to deepen the meaning of the psalm, speaking of restoration from error, and the turn from sorrow to joy. We may be reminded of the apostle Paul, who told the Colossians, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:13-14).
The Psalm’s pictures of exile, dryness, and lack of sustenance are transformed by our Orthodox Song into the “captivity” of error—of sin and death—to which each of us is prone. This is followed by a prayer that we will be restored from our sinful errors that cause numerous sufferings, and by a confidence that though there is a time for sorrow and fasting, there is also appointed a great harvest of eternal reviving life and numerous joys. For us, the over-flowing negev is the work of the Holy Spirit, made available to us through Jesus, who sends the reviving Spirit to each of us, and all of us together. Let’s remember that “error” and “sin” are the deepest human captivity, for God created us to walk in His ways, and not to be waylaid by the Enemy. It is also helpful to remember that He can take our sorrow and emptiness, and bring of it much fruit. We think especially of those who have lost their life for Christ, and the good that they bring to all of us.
As St. Augustine says,
This Psalm [125/6], being sung to the Lord, seems to fit the holy martyrs; but if we are members of Christ, as we ought to be, we can take these words as referring to all of us: Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. Going they shall go and weep, casting their seed. But coming they shall come with merrymaking, carrying their sheaves.” Where are they going, and where are they coming from? What are they sowing in tears? What is the seed, what are the sheaves? Going into death, coming from death; going by being born, coming by rising again. Sowing is whatever good we have done; our sheaves, what we shall receive at the end. So if the seed is good, the works are good, why “in tears,” seeing that God loves a cheerful giver.
(Sermon 31.1–2).
We may wonder why St. Augustine moves from the image of harvest to that of death as “sowing seed” until we remember the apostle Paul’s words to the Corinthians that our human bodies are “sown” in weakness, like that of Jesus, but raised to new life, like the plant that comes from the dry ground (1 Cor 15:43). And even Jesus Himself said that the seed must be planted in the ground, or it does not bring forth fruit. He Himself is the first great “sower,” and we are called to follow in His footsteps, even to the laying down of our lives—from this, great joy will come. Indeed, even during the time of waiting and journey, when the harvest has not yet been seen, there can be an anticipated joy. St. Augustine reminds us, “if travelers rejoice in each other’s company on the way, what joy they will obtain in their home country!” (Sermon 306B). Together, we live and lay down our lives for Christ, and so encourage (literally “give heart to”) each other.
The first Antiphon, then, exults in the great possibilities that can come from exile, even from death, and closes by saying, “In the Holy Spirit is the fountain of divine treasures, for from Him cometh wisdom, awe, and understanding. To Him, therefore, be praise, glory, might, and honor.” As we began with the work of Christ, so we conclude the Song with the riches of the Holy Spirit.
The second Antiphon, based on Psalm 126 (MT 127), takes this joy a step further:
If the LORD buildeth not the house of the soul, then vainly do we labor; for without Him, nothing that we say we need is ever made complete. Verily, the saints, who are the reward of the fruit of thy womb by the moving of the Spirit, make belief in the adoption of the Father to flourish.
Again, the Antiphon applies the Hebrew Psalm, which is a domestic poem, to the labours of the Christian and the Church. Here is the Psalm itself:
Unless the LORD builds a house, those who build it labored in vain.
Unless the LORD guards a city, the guard kept awake in vain.
It is in vain for you to rise up early, to get up after sitting down,
O you who eat bread of pain, when He gives sleep to his beloved ones.Behold, the heritage from the LORD is sons, the reward of the fruit of the womb.
Psalm 126 (MT 127)
Like arrows in the hand of a powerful one, so are the sons of one’s youth.
Blessed the man who will satisfy his desire [or, whose quiver is full] with them.
He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies at the gate.
In the Hebrew context, the imagery is that of actually building a house and guarding a city, with those who have many sons in a strong position to hold off those who might storm the stronghold. God cares, of course, for the family, and for the security of our towns.
But the Antiphon speaks to us deeply about the “house of the soul,” and considers the saints to be the many sons to strengthen the Church, and give it boldness to believe that God is our Father. Everything that we need is completed by our Lord, by the moving of the Holy Spirit, including the health of our Church and our congregation—we have work to do, but it is by the Holy Spirit and the intercession of the saints that this will be accomplished. We need not worry, as the Psalm itself reminds us, for God gives to His beloved the opportunity to sleep, as we remember that He is the major builder.
This second Antiphon, like all the others, goes on to speak especially of the Holy Spirit, reminding us that He is not just a present Builder, but the One who hovered over the waters at the very beginning of God’s creation: “By the Holy Spirit was existence bestowed on all creation; for He is of the Godhead before existence, and He is the unapproachable Light, the God of all, and their life.” That One who bestowed existence on creation is with each and all of us now, and so we can rest in our hope. As St. John Chrysostom comments, “we have had a good thing, salvation and peace, committed to [us]to keep” And how do we do that, St. John asks: “by the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us.” As he wisely concluded, “For it is not in the power of a human soul, when instructed with things so great, to be sufficient for keeping them [of himself] (Homilies on 2 Timothy 3).
The final Antiphon of the three that we are considering today retains that confidence, but also puts in our minds the importance of awe and reverence:
Truly, they who fear the Lord are now for ever blessed; for they have found the way of life in the never-decaying glory. Rejoice, O chief shepherd, as thou seest thy children’s children like plants around thy table, bearing branches of good works.
Of course, we recognize the language of “fearing the LORD” from the OT, and can see how the Antiphon takes its cue from Psalm 127 (MT 128), which commences by enjoining the “fear of the LORD,” and then repeats the concept:
Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways.
Blessed are you, and it shall be well with you.
Your wife will be like a thriving vine on the sides of your house;
your sons like shoots of olives around your table.
Behold, thus shall a man be blessed who fears the Lord.May the LORD bless you from Zion,
and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
And may you see your sons’ sons.
Peace be upon Israel!
Hand-in-hand with godly fear, then, goes blessing. This is not just material blessing, of course, but spiritual blessing, as we are reminded in the Proverbs, “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” The first lesson to learn, and to always retain, is that He is God and we are not—though He brings us into intimacy with Him. Out of this intimacy with the Creator God comes fruitfulness that we can scarcely imagine, and life that can be pictured by those who come bearing leafy branches from a verdant orchard. The ode says that for those who start with the fear of God, there is a path that leads to never-decaying glory. And, beautifully, our Orthodox Antiphon doesn’t simply exalt in this, but turns to God the Chief Shepherd, inviting Him to rejoice in the great number of those who follow in His way, and live in His house. Great gifts are available for the people of God, because of what Jesus has done. As the letter to the Ephesians reminds us:
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says,“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men”
(Ephesians 4:4-8).
From this one God, through the Son, come the multiple gifts of the Holy Spirit, empowering each one of us and strengthening all of us together. Where the Psalm looked for blessing from the earthly Jerusalem and the temporary but wonderful gift of grandchildren, the Antiphon lifts us up to think about eternal blessings and permanent joys, as we share in the blessing of the saints. As we heard from St. Paul earlier, we have been joined to the inheritance of the saints of light, because we are rescued from the domain of darkness, and because we share in God’s gift of illumination by the Holy Spirit. This divine gift the Antiphon clearly recognizes, as this group of the Ascent Songs closes: “By the Holy Spirit is the abundance of gifts, the richness of glory, and depth of the great commandments; for He is worthy of worship and coeternal in glory with the Father and the Son.”
Ours is not just an escape from exile, wonderful though that is; ours is not just the building of a community of God’s people, wonderful though that is; ours is not just the joy of growth and fruitfulness, wonderful though that is. Rather, we have had showered upon us an abundance of gifts, a rich glory, and an understanding of the depth of the wisdom of God. For the very Spirit of God abides generously among us.
Edith M. Humphrey 