parresia

Augustine: on Psalm 3:8"Salvation is

Augustine: on Psalm 3:8

"Salvation is of the Lord; and upon Thy people be Thy blessing" (ver. 8). In one sentence the Psalmist has enjoined men what to believe, and has prayed for believers. For when it is said, "Salvation is of the Lord," the words are addressed to men. Nor does it follow, "And upon Thy people" be "Thy blessing," in such wise as that the whole is spoken to men, but there is a change into prayer addressed to God Himself, for the very people to whom it was said, "Salvation is of the Lord." What else then doth he say but this? Let no man presume on himself, seeing that it is of the Lord to save from the death of sin; for, "Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord." But do Thou, O Lord, bless Thy people, who look for salvation from Thee.

"And upon thy people be Thy blessing..." I encourage us to consider that this prayer is one which we ought to pray often. For what do we find in the creation account but that of God blessing mankind:

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them..."

He did not bless the heavens and earth; rather God's delights were with the sons of man. Proverbs 8:31. We see that this blessing then is not of little importance, and we ought not forget that it is this very blessing that we turned from in Adam's rebellion, and that we turn from each time we sin.

It also should be considered that God's blessing (even as He blessed the animals) came as a command to mulitply and fill the earth. What this should teach us concerning marriage and procreation should be obvious: God's blessing just is that when we are united to our spouse we ought to multiply and fill the earth, for this is what his blessing consisted in. Obed-edom had eight sons, for God blessed him I Chronicles 26:5.

Oh Lord, may your blessing be upon us even as it was upon Adam in the garden. May we, through the sanctifying work of your Holy Spirit, be the delight that you would have us be, and may our offspring increase the Kingdom God.

Posted by at March 1, 2001 01:33 AM